USAFA Graduation: Gift for My Graduate

Many of you know that my husband has been flying airplanes since well before we met. In fact, he's been flying since around the same time he started driving (even before).

He received a pilot slot to go to Euro-Nato Joint Jet Pilot Training (read all about that here), so he will head there after getting his Master's degree.

I knew that for his graduation from the Air Force Academy, I wanted to make him something special... something that he'll cherish forever. I decided that I wanted it to be about flying, since that's his passion. But what? Then I got an amazing idea - to use aviation sectional charts! I had seen them in the flying team's squadron bar used as a table top and thought that looked really cool. I knew I couldn't do anything like that, but then I realized he had learned how to fly at three different airports so far and would be going to a fourth one for Air Force pilot training... and the idea of making a framed depiction of that came about.

Once I found the PERFECT frame (that looks just like an old window-pane), I knew I was set! I spent some time working on it while Dan was out of town at a flying competition, and I LOVE the way it turned out. He really likes it too (I could tell when he received it!), and it is now hanging in our new home.

The picture of it isn't so clear since I took it with my phone, but I am really happy with the graduation gift I made for Dan!